Will this 20 gallon tank cycle?

Mark Novack · Feb 21, 2020

I just finished a month long deep cleaning of my 800liter tank. One major step per week including a sand siphoning and cleaning (toxic dead cyano dust everywhere). I let it relax for 10 days and then did a 600liter water change. At this point there was more sand than needed and too many rocks and my sump had a few too much rock also.

I had set up a 70liter tank to accept corals that my fish pick on too much. During the 600liter change on the big tank, I took 40 liters from the mature tank, 30 liters of new, the extra sand, rock, and Siporax from my sump bag and directly placed it into the little tank. The next day I added 4 shrimp, 3 crabs and four tube worms.

Question. Do you think the tank will cycle? The quantity of mature material is correct for the size. Should I buy an ammonia test kit? No fish but I need to feed zee shrimps. My live rock is pretty clean as my big tank fish are not reef safe. I did get two small rock pieces from the shop out of their invertebrate tank smothered with life.

Side note. This work was performed in order to make arrangements to place an XXL Catalaphyllia in place of the chewed on lobos, sarcos, and a sinularia. I don't know why one sinularia is fine but the other gets chewed on.

Thanks,
Mark

najer · Feb 21, 2020

I guess it depends how long anything was in the air as to what die off you get, I think you will be fine with established lr.

Mark Novack · Feb 21, 2020

Oh, it was just a few seconds tank to tank. Water was already well mixed up. Same with the sand. I siphoned, rinsed in tank water and immediately into tank. I'll take some close ups and see how it goes.

Mark Novack · Feb 23, 2020

Mark Novack said:
Oh, it was just a few seconds tank to tank. Water was already well mixed up. Same with the sand. I siphoned, rinsed in tank water and immediately into tank. I'll take some close ups and see how it goes.

Some close up photos of chewed up softies. I'm curious to see what happens. These were magnificent long and short polyped specimens and the sinularia was a huge green waving centerpiece. These are not compatible with large angelfish. So, these photos were taken only a few hours after removal from the fishy tank. Today, 72 hours into the experiment, I am seeing some healing in some places but it's going to take a while. They were nipped daily for about 8 months. In the meantime, it's my new invert tank. Crabs and shrimps for now, I'll get some snails when there is something for them to eat.